Barnes had a great game against Clemson yesterday. I think he would fit the Raptors better than MKG, due to our lack of a second scoring option. We would have a pretty potent offence with Andrea and Harrison being our primary scorers and DeMar being a third option. Jonas cleaning up the boards and Calderon dishing. As for Batum if we end up getting either MKG or Barnes I think we should spend our money on another position.

I haven't watched Batum enough to know if he could be a good SG. I'm sure our scouts would know. If he is capable that would be a great option.

I think Batum will get between 8-10 mil., based on what he has done with limited minutes and the amount of upside he has.

I'll take that... great versatility, good scoring and passing skills, can put the ball on the floor, good mid-range game,high basketball IQ, pretty athletic, very long, plays with good attitude, and has shot a 47 % from the field and 38% average from 3 over the last 5 years.

I know this is really off topic, but from the posts that I've seen on here, why does no one really believe Demar to be an upcoming all-star? He's shown so much potential to give up on him now, and he has led our team in big games.

Raptor fans have big dreams, but they continue to give up on the best of our chances. We're lucky BC proved our asses wrong about Bargnani, even Calderon.

Demar was amazing last year, and even though with his inconsistent play, hes had very good games this year as well! And when he plays well, we're usually successful, maybe not a win, but we play well. Its just a matter of a lack of talent, and missing key players ala Bargs & Kleiza.

What's funny is I remember Barnes was touted a year and a half ago as a scoring, defensive SF.

Is Harrison Barnes Overrated?

Predicting human performance is the single most difficult part of the business behind professional sports. It’s why players like Hasheem Thabeet get taken as a second-overall pick in the NBA draft, and it’s also why a player like Tony Parker falls to the bottom of the first round. Predicting human behavior is simply not an exact science.

The thing about science, though, is that it’s always evolving. Methods get better, more accurate. As depicted in the movie “Moneyball,” the science if predicting human performance is no different.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at University of North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes. Once believed to be a top overall NBA draft pick, Barnes has since dropped a couple of notches in the ranks over at Draft Express, the foremost authority on all things NBA draft. They have him currently ranked third overall, so let’s take a look at some of the reasons why he might be worth a pick that high.

Barnes gets 80% of his offense in half court sets, where he has scored 189 points in 208 possessions. That’s good enough to rank him in the 69th percentile, so he’s well above average as scouts rank him “very good.” He’s even better in transition, scoring 64 points on 51 possessions to rank in the 76th percentile. He’s scored the vast majority (93%) of his points this season against man-to-man defense, and he ranks in the 67th percentile overall in those situations. He’s only had 14 possessions against the zone, so the sample size is small. Still, he’s scored 16 points on those 14 possessions, good for an 82nd percentile ranking.

Compare those numbers to Kentucky’s Anthony Davis, currently projected to be the top overall pick in next summer’s draft, and you can see why he’s no longer the top pick. Davis ranks in the 90% percentile or better across the board offensively for a ranking of “excellent.”

A quick look at projected second overall pick Andre Drummond (UCONN) reveals that while Drummond is a significant step below Davis, he is also a step above Barnes. Drummond gets 89% of his offense in the half court, where he is ranked in the 79% percentile. He’s also in the 89th percentile in transition, where he gets 11% of his offense.

Barnes may be a step below those two players, but he is not completely outclassed.

On the defensive end Barnes is still somewhat of a work in progress. He is best when defending spot-up shooters, where he ranks in the 71st percentile, and he’s not bad when defending the ball handler in a pick-and-roll (64th percentile). He’s average in isolation situations (49th percentile) and below average in hand-offs (15th percentile).

What that means is that the team that drafts Barnes will need to understand that he’s not going to be a defensive stopper, and they’ll need to surround him with some good defenders to make up for that weakness. On the offensive end, however, Barnes could very well be an impact player in the NBA, which makes him very worthy of the third overall pick.

Just one person's interpretation of the numbers and stats. I usually despise anything coming from Ingram but, on this, I'm in agreement.

(Also, I'm going to put this post in the draft thread. This is the free agency thread so lets try not to get too off topic for too long. Any comments directly on this post or Harrison Barnes alone, please post in draft section).

Sign BATUM!

Put me on the official Batum bandwagon.

In the closing seconds of a tie game against Northwest Division rival Oklahoma City, Nicolas Batum was poised to be a hero.

He collected a pass on the wing and drove through the meat of the Thunder defense toward the rim, with a clear path at the basket in front of him and a Trail Blazers victory in his sights. Batum elevated for the game-winner, but instead of trying to dunk, he opted for a layup as a sellout Rose Garden crowd held its collective breath.

You know how the story ends. Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook was trailing Batum and, at the last second, reached out and swatted the ball from behind as the fourth-quarter buzzer sounded. The game moved into overtime and the Blazers went on to lose, 111-107.

"I still think about that play," Batum said late last week.

It was a painful defeat in a season full of them for the Blazers and perhaps no one took it harder than Batum, who was solemn and dejected afterward in the locker room. But that play -- along with another highlight moment eight days later -- also may have served as defining events in a career that could be permanently changed for the better.

Over the last four games, since Batum replaced Wesley Matthews in the starting lineup, he's been as aggressive, dominant and dynamic as he's been at any point in his four-season career. It's not just that Batum is averaging 22.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during the streak. Or that he's shooting 52.9 percent from the field, including 43.5 percent from three-point range.

It's how he's doing it all. He's driving through the heart of defenses for dunks and layups. He's crashing the rim for gritty offensive rebounds. He's taking more chances and showing more creativity on offense, revealing no hesitance to dribble and create his own shot or an open look for teammate. During this breakout four-game run, Batum has attempted 68 field goals and scored 91 points, which includes a career-high 24-shot, 33-point scoring night against the Washington Wizards. It's the most field-goal attempts and most points Batum has recorded in any four-game stretch of his career.

Not just random bursts

Throughout his career, Batum has unleashed random bursts of aggressive play, skying for an alley-oop dunk here or trailing an opponent fast break for an out-of-nowhere block there. And throughout his career, coach Nate McMillan and the Blazers have tried to get Batum to quit bottling up these bursts for special occasions and display them at all times as he roams the court.

Finally, this time seems to have arrived.

"I think Nicolas, his play and what he has done, has kind of separated him from some of the other guys," McMillan said. "You have to be aggressive and attack the basket and he's had a couple plays here in the last few games where either he's dunked the ball or he's gone to the free-throw line. I like his aggressiveness."

So why has this all suddenly emerged now? An increased starting role and more playing time hasn't hurt. And Batum says the early season distraction of his failed contract extension talks is long gone and he is "free" of the burden.

But it's more than any of that. Batum says two plays have changed his game forever.

A stunning dunk

And if the failed layup in that Oklahoma City loss was the moment that squirted lighter fluid on Batum's transformation, another play against the Wizards served as the burning match that lit the fire.

In one of the highlights of the Blazers' season and Batum's career, he drove past a defender on the right wing and into the middle of the key, where the only thing separating him from a bucket were two Washington defenders, including the NBA's second-leading shot blocker, JaVale McGee. But instead of finessing his way to the rim with a layup, as he did against Oklahoma City, Batum skied high and posterized them both with a powerful one-handed dunk.

The Rose Garden crowd went ballistic, but Batum was mostly emotionless as he walked to the free-throw line and high-fived Raymond Felton after the play.

"I had no reaction because I was like, 'Did I dunk on two guys? Yes. And a foul? OK,'" Batum said, smiling, as he recalled the moment.

One game later, he added an aggressive driving baseline dunk against Golden State. Then he scored 15 of the Blazers' first 17 points against the Los Angeles Clippers. Then, as LaMarcus Aldridge returned from a two-game absence and Felton stole headlines with a resurgent game, Batum quietly led the Blazers in scoring during a 97-77 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

All the while, McMillan has started calling plays for Batum and integrating him into the offensive game plan. Batum is suddenly evolving from a complementary piece of the franchise into a focal point.

Early in his career, Blazers fans nicknamed Batum "Batman." But in the long run, if this newfound aggressive game lasts, he might turn out to be Robin to Aldridge's Batman.

"Sometimes, in the past, I got a flash and I was more aggressive, I dunk on people," Batum said. "But I wouldn't do it every time. Sometimes I was worried about getting a block or a charge called on me. But now, sometimes I have to tell myself, 'OK, just go. Go and see what happens.' I've got to be aggressive every game. And now I know I can do it. I feel like a different player."

Given his recent performance as a starter, I'm willing to be Portland will re-sign Batum. I bet they'd cut Oden and make other moves, if necessary, to re-sign him. I think he'd be great on the Raptors, especially alongside Barnes/MKG on the wing (with or without DeRozan in the wing mix), but I highly doubt Batum will be anywhere but Portland next season.

I don't know if some of you watched some of France's Eurobasket games last summer, but the guy was a beast. Totally different from his first seasons in POR where he was first described as a defense specialist, and then as a defense specialist that can score 3s.

With his national team, he is the second scoring option after Parker (or alongside, would I say) and man, that makes a huge difference in his playing style : attacking the rim as hell !

I guess finally getting his systems called after 4 years must be a relief for him.

Given his recent performance as a starter, I'm willing to be Portland will re-sign Batum. I bet they'd cut Oden and make other moves, if necessary, to re-sign him. I think he'd be great on the Raptors, especially alongside Barnes/MKG on the wing (with or without DeRozan in the wing mix), but I highly doubt Batum will be anywhere but Portland next season.

Oden is only on the books for $1.5M this season and is unrestricted this summer. I think Portland is more than ready to cut the cord with him regardless.

Portland had an opportunity to sign him this winter but would not. I could see an owner like Paul Allen being stubborn and refusing to sign an offer sheet for him that was much more than what they originally were offering which Batum and/or his agent found insulting based on interviews afterwards (paraphrasing but something like, "We'll talk to 29 teams before we talk to Portland again."). Also if Toronto even overpaid a little (Gallinari signed for $10.5M per season, how about $11M Batum?) that would certainly make things difficult for Portland.

If after all that Portland still signs him, maybe Matthews becomes available. Portland will be in need of a new PG this coming off season and they don't come cheap.

My problem with Matthews is what you see is what you get now. He is also struggling this year compared to last but that can be said about a lot of players.

Batum is showing what he can do when given the opportunities. And if he starts dribbling and creating his own shot in addition to everything else he brings to the table....... wow, he is going to be very, very good.

Maybe it is time I get my head checked but I don't think this scenario is unreasonable - the biggest unreasonable obstacle in my opinion would be step 1 to follow:

step 1: Calderon gets traded on March 1st as part of the Howard deal or in a separate deal where Gasol and Calderon end up together. Raptors receive a couple of 1st round picks and take back no money for next year. Raptors have $21.5M in cap space heading in to summer.

Step 2: draft best available player (most likely a wing) and Myck Kabongo with one of the 1st round picks in Calderon deal.

step 3a: Raptors receive cap space and sign Chandler to a deal at $8M per year on March 1st - Raptors left with $13.5M in cap space in summer.
step 3b: Chandler goes to Italy for remainder of year and is RFA in summer at which point Raptors offer $8M per year - Raptors left with $13.5M in cap space in summer.

step 4: sign Batum for $11M - Raptors left with $2.5M.

step 5: re-sign Gray @ $2.5M - Raptors left with $0.

step 6: Call Steve Nash. Sell him on returning to Canada and, more importantly, this roster:

step 7: contact Phoenix about sign and trade. Toronto would actually have assets (DeMar, ED/Amir, future picks) that would be better than any contending team could offer. Plus the Suns are reportedly high on Aaron Brooks (PG) and he will be returning next year.

Obviously this is a pipe dream on my part and it is far, far, far from a certainty. HOWEVER, back to my original point, I don't think this is unreasonable. I don't know about you but if it did play out I would be extremely happy.